98 TEXAS NATURE OBSERVATIONS AND REMINISCENCES, 



fly upon the branches of a nearby 

 tree or set on the bank of the tank. 

 But usually he pops them on 

 the wing. 



In large pastures and fields 

 supplied with sunflowers, the wild 

 dove can be encountered anywhere 

 very numerously, and at least 

 so in former years. During certain 

 weather conditions in winter they 

 gather in large flocks and seek shel- 

 ter in the hilly woods and the 

 brush of forests, returning again 

 in better weather. Early in the 



men" is now prohibited, and the 

 average hunter is well satisfied 

 with the limit of game of all kind 

 allowed by law. 



And right here, in these ''Remin- 

 iscences" I am reminded of the 

 pleasure I had — many years ago — 

 with a hunting companion at the 

 old Callaghan ranch, eight miles 

 north of San Antonio, in meeting 

 there our lamented late Mayor 

 Bryan Callaghan. It was during a 

 hot summer day and "sunflower 

 time" in the middle of September 



The Breeding Wild Dove, When a Long Time on Nest, Can be Approached Very 

 Closely, But it Should Never be Disturbed Purposely 



mornings, or late in the evening, 

 they are quite tame and often 

 some dry tree near a water hole 

 is seen literally covered with wild 

 doyes. 



In former years, before the en- 

 forcement of the game law, some 

 hunters used to shoot doves "by 

 the barrel full," and nearly at any 

 time of the year and including 

 the breeding time. This "hoggish" 

 hunting of some so-called "sports- 



— at a time of the year we loca 

 nimrods considered it the right time 

 to hunt the wild dove, before they 

 migrate to foreign pastures outside 

 the State. 



The encounter with our sturdy 

 old mayor was a very cordial one. 

 He was accompanied by the late 

 Hermann Kampmann, at the time 

 one of San Antonio's most enter- 

 prising citizens, and we had a splen- 

 did plfasanttimeforthe time being. 



